Assfgnor to the



T. G. BENNETT. GARTRIDGE PACKAGE.

(No Model.)

Patented June 27, 1882...

fag J To all whom it may concern UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS G. BENNETLOF N EW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE 'WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARTRIDGE-PACKAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 260,153, dated June 27, 1882,

Applicutionflled May19,1882. (No model.)

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. BENNETT, of New Haven, in the county of New aven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Packing Cartridges; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, andwhich said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-- Figures 1 and 2, the two perforated plates;

Fig; 3, a longitudinal section of the plates through the perforations with the cartridges therein; Fig. 4, a corresponding section of the other plate inverted; Fig. 5, a longitudinal sectionof the package.

This invention relates to an improvement in the method of packingcartridges in theircases. Cartridges of the larger sizes are packed in paper or other boxes or cases containing, say, fifty, (more or less,) and are arranged alternately one cartridge with the head in one direction and the next in the opposite, and so on, so that the point or ball of one cartridge stands between the flanges or heads of the two adjacent cartridges. By this arrangement the cylindrical part of the cases are brought-into contact and thus make a closely-packed package.

As heretofore practiced the cartridges have been placed by hand and singly in their cases, which is an expensive operation.

The object of my invention is to avoid this hand-labor and facilitate the packing; and it consists in the employment of a pair of plates of substantiallythe area of the case into which the cartridges are to be piaced,each perforated with series of holes substantially the diameter of the body of the cartridge underneath the head, the said holes being in longitudinal series, the holes in each series being distant from each other substantially the diameter of the cartridge-shell, andthose of one being in a position between those of the other-that is, the

holes in one alternating with the holes in the other-so thatthe cartridges may be shaken in mass upon these plates until all the holes in the plate are filled. Then, inverting theone plate with its cartridges, the other plate with its cartridges may be set upon the first, the

cartridges in the second plate passing down between the cartridges of the firstplate, thus bringinga mass together into precisely the position they will occupy in the case, and thus arranged they may be placed in their cases together with the plates which support them, and as more fully hereinafter described.

A, Fig. 1, and B, Fig. 2, represent two plates of the same size and each corresponding to the size of the box or case which is to receive the cartridges. They are each punched with several series of openings, a, the openings corresponding in size substantially to the size of the cartridge under the head, and so that the cartridges may be introduced through. the openings point downward, as seen in Fig. 3, until the head or flange will rest on the plate. The openings are distant from each other substantially one diameter. The openings in one plate are intermediate between those of the other plate, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. These plates are made from common tin, pasteboard, or other cheap or inexpensive material. The plates thus prepared are arranged upon a suitable frame or over an opening in a table, and a mass of cartridges placed over them and shaken or agitated in the usual manner for shaking cartridges or plates for the purpose of filling holes'in the plates with cartridges until all the holes are filled. The cartridges, readily entering, fall through the openings, point downward, until theflange rests upon the plate, as seen in Fig. 3. When the plates are filled, one-say B-is inverted, as seen in Fig. 4, and may be placed directly into the packing-case, as seen in Fig. 5, leaving the points of the cartridges standing upward. Then the other plate, A, is set over the cartridges thus introduced and dropped onto. the first, so that the cartridges of the second plate pass down between those of the first, as seen in Fig. 5. Then the case is closed in the usual manner, and the package is ready for market.

By this construction the hand-labor of pack ing the cartridges singly is dispensed with to a very great extent, one person by this method being able to do many times what a single person could do by the old method. Another advantage of this method is that each cartridge is held in the case independent of the others. Again, the cartridges when packed are always freshly greased, and in handling in the old method the cases would be unavoidably more or less soiled and the grease more or less disturbed, which is avoided by my improved method.

While I have illustrated but one way of introdncing the plates and cartridges to the package, it willbe readily understood that this maybe done invarious ways. Forillustration, instead of being placed into a box-like package, the two plates of cartridges may be placed together and wrapped in paper; or they may be placed together and otherwise introduced into the case; or several sets may be placed in a case.

I claima 1. The method herein described for arranging cartridges for packing, consisting in the employment of a pair of plates of substantially the size of the package to be made, each perforated with series of holes corresponding in diameter to the body of the cartridges, the holes in one alternating with those of the other, the cartridges introduced through the holes in the said plates, and the two filled plates of cartridges set together, substantially as described. I

2. A cartridge-package consisting of a pair of plates, each perforated with series of holes corresponding in diameter to the body of the cartridge, the holes in one plate alternating with those of the other, the cartridges arranged throngh the perforations of the respective plates, and then the. two plates of cartridges set together and inelosed to form the package, substantially as described.

THOMAS G. BENNETT.

Witnesses: l

WM. W. CONVERSE, J. N. Kitchen. 

